After nearly 3 long years of patiently waiting, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is finally here, and it does exactly what its title indicate: the movie introduces the Justice League on the big screen (get it, because it’s the “dawn”), thus kicking off the entire DC Extended Universe.
It doesn’t matter what critics think of director Zack Snyder’s technique, millions of DC Comics fans worldwide are guaranteed to pour into cinemas this weekend, making this superhero action flick a blockbuster hit. Viewers will probably enjoy “Batman v Superman” from the long anticipation and their hardcore love for their heroes than the actual film itself.
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” takes place 18 months after the events of “Man of Steel”. But before that, we’re given a glimpse into the Spark Notes version of Batman’s origin story where Bruce Wayne’s parents are murdered at the back-alley.
The movie then cuts to the climax of “Man of Steel” and we see Bruce Wayne making a mad dash through the streets of Metropolis as the Wayne Financial building collapses, just in time to watch a friendly security guard lose his legs and a young girl becoming an orphan.
Then we fast forward to the present time, 18 months later. In the course of saving Lois Lane from a terrorist interview gone wrong, Superman is blamed for the deaths of several African villagers. Now branded as a controversial figure, Bruce Wayne together with most of the American government and the media have it out for Superman.
The hate towards Superman seems rather unfounded for the most part but it exists nonetheless. Likewise, the motivation of the characters from “Batman v Superman” come across as sloppy. As far as Bruce Wayne is concerned, reckless power left unrestrained makes Superman a threat to society. And so he dons his mask and cape to right Superman’s wrongs.
The rivalry between Batman and Superman is furious and nothing can deter them from waging this pivotal battle in the heart of Gotham. Although Batman may have grounds for vengeance, it’s Alexander “Lex” Luthor who has the appetite.
After hauling a chunk of green kryptonite found in the wreckage of Zod’s spaceship in the Indian Ocean, the young ego-centric mogul devises a “silver bullet” plan that could take down Superman. Any other villain would think twice before getting on Superman’s bad side. Not this bad guy though.
Instead of emulating the colour, warmth, and wit of Marvel’s superhero movie franchise, Snyder presents us with gods and monsters, duking it out against a backdrop of lightning and smoke. Majority of the battle scenes are set at night, making them hard for the audience to see.
As many might have suspected early on, there isn’t much of actual Batman versus Superman action during the duration of 150 minutes in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”. An hour into the film, you are probably going to wonder: “Can we just get over this dispute so we can move on to Gadot’s Wonder Woman?”
If there’s one thing critics and fans can agree upon, it’s that Wonder Woman is a great addition to “Batman v Superman”, and will continue to play a crucial role in the DC Cinematic Universe. When Wonder Woman shows up unexpectedly and saves Batman and Superman from impending doom, she wields a confident smile alongside her shield.
To quote Kristy Puchko, when Gadot appears, it’s like someone switched a light on. The Amazonian loves being a warrior and this little insight gives the climatic destruction smack-down scene a bigger boost. “You get a great introduction to her, yet it doesn’t give too much away,” Deborah Snyder previously told USA Today.
If you’re eager for more Gal Gadot don’t worry, the actress is currently filming her solo Wonder Woman movie. Similarly, certain major cameos (*hint hint*) also provide a backdoor pilot to the 2-part “Justice League” movies in DC’s Extended Universe.
Bottom Line: While “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” is congested with trying to throw too many chips into the pot instead of solidifying on one story, it did give us Wonder Woman and a bombastic score by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL.
So there you have it folks, the DC Cinematic Universe ship has now officially set sail and we’re looking forward for better things to come.
UPDATE (25th March):
Here’s your first look at “Justice League Part 1” all together at the premiere of “Batman v Superman”.
Don’t forget to check out some fun facts about Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and a handy guide to “Batman v. Superman”.
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